Mindless vs purposeful next actions

[ivanjay205]

Two thoughts - not sure if these will help or not, depends on the real issue.

1. If project planning is the problem, and you just need to think, set a task to just sit with a blank pad of paper for 15 minutes and think about the project, writing any notes that occur to you. Count this as progress. If it's helping and you need longer, repeat.
2. I know I heard this from others but I like it for when you don't know what the next concrete action is: Imagine that you have nothing else to do, no other projects, no other tasks, the only thing you have to do is this one project. What would you do first?

And a bonus from a psychological standpoint - what is scary about the project? Is there someone who is going to judge you based on the outcome? If so maybe you need to adjust your attitude toward that person so that your own opinion has a little more weight and theirs has a little less. Or identify any catastrophizing (is that spelled right or even a word?) thoughts you are having and each time they pop into your head oppose them with something more positive/realistic.

I find in these cases a few things help me:

1. stand up and go to a whiteboard! I just find it is so much more a creative environment than the computer or other tool and for some reason (for me) less friction than writing out on paper although that works too

2. Do not plan all the way through, just ask yourself what would be the very very first step. Often that alone will trigger 4-5 and that is enough and all I need. As I do those more will come. Sometimes that opens up the damn and they are start flowing!

 

[Longstreet]

Hi, Longstreet.

I'm so touched that you reached out to me. Thanks! I looked up the "Time Surfing" book, and it sounds like it might help me. (The "gnawing rats" description of my situation hit home.) I went to the web site, and that living surfing wave is something to behold! I went to my online library, and although I cannot get it immediately, I was able to put a hold on the book for later. Meanwhile, I decided to subscribe to Paul Loomans' emails. Thanks for your suggestion!

You are very welcome! In case you have not seen it, here is one of David Allen's 2-minute tips. This is a great one on intuition and the small voice that we all have inside of us.

 

[TesTeq]

Hi, Longstreet.

I'm so touched that you reached out to me. Thanks! I looked up the "Time Surfing" book, and it sounds like it might help me. (The "gnawing rats" description of my situation hit home.) I went to the web site, and that living surfing wave is something to behold! I went to my online library, and although I cannot get it immediately, I was able to put a hold on the book for later. Meanwhile, I decided to subscribe to Paul Loomans' emails. Thanks for your suggestion!

@Mrs-Polifax When @Longstreet mentioned this book I immediately purchased it and read (only 160 pages). I love the way how the author teaches us to create emotional association with our todo items but… he's against list making. He argues that todos will magically return to us – our intuition will bring them in the appropriate time if we have an emotional bond with them. I prefer @DavidAllen's obsession to clear our minds – to dump everything from our heads to our trusted systems.

 

[Longstreet]

@Mrs-Polifax When @Longstreet mentioned this book I immediately purchased it and read (only 160 pages). I love the way how the author teaches us to create emotional association with our todo items but… he's against list making. He argues that todos will magically return to us – our intuition will bring them in the appropriate time if we have an emotional bond with them. I prefer @DavidAllen's obsession to clear our minds – to dump everything from our heads to our trusted systems.

He actually says that you CAN have lists as a backup to review but to use your intuition when deciding what to do. How is that different than David Allen's video I posted?

 

[Longstreet]

@Mrs-Polifax When @Longstreet mentioned this book I immediately purchased it and read (only 160 pages). I love the way how the author teaches us to create emotional association with our todo items but… he's against list making. He argues that todos will magically return to us – our intuition will bring them in the appropriate time if we have an emotional bond with them. I prefer @DavidAllen's obsession to clear our minds – to dump everything from our heads to our trusted systems.

One more thing - tasks don't "magically appear". This is all about using your intuition. There are both science-based research and considerable religious-based components of one's intuition. I would not dispel this at all as "magic". As David's video pointed out, trusting your intuition is a powerful thing indeed.

 

[TesTeq]

How is that different than David Allen's video I posted?

@Longstreet There's no mandatory "write it down and put it in your inbox" step in Loomans' approach. @DavidAllen uses his intuition after capturing & clarifying stuff and organizing Next Actions and Projects on lists. For Loomans lists are optional. For me that's a huge difference.

 

[Longstreet]

@Longstreet There's no mandatory "write it down and put it in your inbox" step in Looman's approach. @DavidAllen uses his intuition after capturing & clarifying stuff and organizing Next Actions and Projects on lists. For Looman lists are optional. For me that's a huge difference.

Okay - whatever you like to do. I too like the power of having these lists, but using my intuition mainly in deciding what to do. There is a LOT more similarity between GTD and Time Surfing than you realize. I have corresponded with Paul Loomans and discussed many of these items.

 

[Longstreet]

Oh, and one more thing. I am still an avid GTD person because I know GTD rocks!

 

[bcmyers2112]

I haven't read Time Surfing or anything by Paul Loomans, but even if I had I wouldn't wade into this argument. I'll simply say that my more recent experiences with GTD leave me feeling the approach is in large part about supporting my ability to use my intuition. In fact, I feel it's one of the most important benefits of GTD for me.

I'll go further and say that I feel it's about giving me more room to be spontaneous, not less. Just because I've got all of my pre-defined commitments captured in lists doesn't mean I have to do those things. Quite the opposite. I feel perfectly comfortable deciding not to do the things in those lists in favor of following a creative inspiration or wild idea that pops into my head. The fact that I know what I won't be doing if I decide to go down one of those rabbit holes is exactly what enables me to pursue that lightning bolt of inspiration, if that's what my intuition tells me is the most appropriate thing to do.

Again, I haven't read anything by Loomans. I'll simply say that if I read something that includes some ideas I find worthwhile and others I don't, that's OK. I can take what I like and leave the rest. No harm there.

 

[bcmyers2112]

Oh, and one more thing. I am still an avid GTD person because I know GTD rocks!

I think @Longstreet rocks.

 

[bcmyers2112]

@Fedja_b, why are you even posting about this? You're clearly not Penske material. Besides, you are aware that our Board of Directors has been indicted, myself included. (Sorry. Seinfeld humor.)

As a knowledge worker, I often struggle with the traditional paradigm of simply "cranking widgets." Let's say I have a big, scary project project like "Write the Constanza report." Breaking it down into manageable next actions is essential, so after some natural project planning I determine that my immediate next action is "Read the summary of the Pensky report".

I've struggled with this too. I've found it useful to include "the why" without necessarily having to tie it to the larger project. "Read the summary of the Penske report to understand the 4Q figures" or "Read the Penske report so I can brainstorm next steps" are more helpful to me.

I've attempted to provide context or connect it to the larger project, but unfortunately, this often backfires. It immediately reminds me of the overwhelming nature of the project, leading to demotivation and procrastination.

I've been mulling this one over for awhile. It leads me to ask whether you've defined an outcome that you feel is achievable. It also suggests to me you may benefit from some project planning. Do you understand the purpose and principles behind these "overwhelming" projects? Have you identified all of the next actions you can move on now (i.e. those without dependencies) and included the rest in project support? Are the next actions sufficiently defined as visible, physical action steps? Just seeing the outcome shouldn't feel overwhelming as long as you have defined action steps you know you can take. As DA says, you can't "do" a project. You can only do steps that will eventually add up to something that will resemble your desired outcome.

Or maybe you need to take this up to one of your higher horizon levels. If the projects feel overwhelming, it might indicate you have a lack of confidence in your ability to complete them. That might suggest you could use some more support from your employer (assuming you work for someone else), or some professional development activities. In my experience, when something feels "off" with my GTD system it indicates something has my attention, and I need to uncover what that is and come up with a project or projects to address it.

 

[Jared Caron]

I have not properly clarified. When I have properly clarified majority of my next actions fit into 20-30 minutes or less.

100% agree with this. Many good thoughts already in this discussion so I'll keep this brief.

Two ways I've seen this "incomplete" clarifying show up in my own practice are:

1. the 2-minute rule
   1. I used to put a lot of 2-minute actions on my lists, which I would subsequently procrastinate.
   2. an astute coach helped me diagnose that my perception of the length of 2 minutes was greatly distorted, so I started using a timer and discovered this was the root of the issue.
   3. I still find myself doing this from time to time, in which case, as soon as I realize its probably a 2-minute action, I do it
2. not the next action
   1. I also find I occasionally put things on my lists that are not actually the next action. This always results in procrastination because my mind knows I actually can't do that yet. Worse, I'm also not doing the next action because I'm not clear on precisely what it is.
   2. Many times I've found this to be true with items that really needed to end up on an agenda list; Say for instance, I needed to talk to someone to clarify a request, or to generate ideas, etc.

So for your report example, I would challenge you - can you read or at least skim it in 2 minutes? Or is it possible that there is some intermediary step that you haven't identified yet that is the true next action?

Just some thoughts. This methodology is a practice and an art, so these subtleties are always a work in progress for all of us.

 

[Jared Caron]

I've struggled with this too. I've found it useful to include "the why" without necessarily having to tie it to the larger project. "Read the summary of the Penske report to understand the 4Q figures" or "Read the Penske report so I can brainstorm next steps" are more helpful to me.

500% - especially with reading documents, etc. there is a reason you need to read it, so include the reason or objective - what information are you trying to glean? is there a problem you need to solve? This is another subtle example of completely clarifying the item and thought.

Next actions should read like instructions, your brain should have to do (almost) zero work to understand what to do. With practice it starts to become more natural, but takes practice like other aspects of the method

 

[cfoley]

Next actions should read like instructions, your brain should have to do (almost) zero work to understand what to do.

Oh, I like this a lot! Thanks for sharing!

 

[René Lie]

Oh, I like this a lot! Thanks for sharing!

I second that - the thinking already has to be done!

 

[gtdstudente]

I second that - the thinking already has to be done!

The thread in general and the last three post in particular offers more GTD realizing by taking me back to the GTD book title itself:

Getting Things Done, the art of stress-free productivity

the good post herein provokes thought to. . . .

Getting Things Done, the art of no-experience [unexperienced] productivity

since all too often on this end 'no-experience' in getting things "done" is all too often the best possible experience in getting things "done"

Kind of like having GTD things show up where 'things' need to show up for "doing" . . . perhaps akin to seeing something "done for doing" without any recollection on how "done for doing" got "done" in the first place in order to "do" . . . crazy . . . LOL ?

In summary, 'no-experience doing' is a favorite GTD "doing to done" experience . . . like sleeping . . . the "done" experience of the "doing to done" experience is in the multiple/leveraged effects of "done" sleeping well vs. the "doing" the sleeping itself . . . btw . . . extra GTD rambling . . .
"done" sleeping is, like an inbox, in getting from needing sleep to needing zero sleep?

 

[Longstreet]

I think @Longstreet rocks.

Thank you! I feel the same about you!

 

[Jared Caron]

Oh, I like this a lot! Thanks for sharing!

Your welcome. I often joke that my ultimate goal is to go through my day without thinking at all . In reality though it is freeing your mind from the operational details of your work to focus on the more strategic and creative aspects that (more than likely) you are actually trying to do.